1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to the field of electrical connectors and principally to an improved tooth form for the contact surface thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art electrical connectors have been provided with toothed contact surfaces which serve both as insulators and oxide piercing means and to increase the engagement between the connector and the conductor enclosed therewithin. Special tooth forms which have been developed to improve the characteristics of electrical connectors are exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,527 issued May 26, 1970 to T. L. C. Kuo and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,549,786 issued Dec. 22, 1970 to T. L. C. Kuo and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention. These tooth forms, although adequate in many applications, comprise relatively widely spaced teeth proportioned generally to accept a particular range of wire sizes and are of limited usefulness where both large and small diameter conductors are to be simultaneously connected within a single wire receiving cavity or ferrule of a connector employing such prior art tooth forms, since the smaller conductor may tend to lie within the recesses or channels existing between adjacent teeth and thus fail to be securely engaged or contacted by such teeth. Additionally, the teeth of such prior art connectors are generally disposed over the interior surface of the connector in a specific pattern commensurate with the placement of conductors along a preferred axis of disposition so that conductors oriented in a direction offset from the preferred axis may fail to be properly engaged by such teeth. In the case where insulation or oxide covered conductors are employed, such limitation may severely limit the integrity and reliability of the final connection, leading either to premature failure of the connection or erratic performance thereof.